Electric-lamp socket



April 7,'1925. v 1,532,208

H..L.STRONG$ON ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed DeC. 4,: 192a;

IN VEN TOR ATTORNEKS Patented Apr. 7, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.-

HERMAN L. srRoNesoN, 6F B ROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

swarms- AM? socxn'rl Application filed December 4, 1922. Serial No, 604,676.

'1 '0 a 20710112. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN L. STRONG- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric lamp globe sockets and the like, and more particularly relates to improvements in multiple or cluster globe push plug sockets for plug-in connection with slotted type or'.

plug-in type wall receptacles.

An object of this invention is to provide a device having on one end plug-in contacts or improved jack-blades which make secure mechanical and electrical connection with slotted type wall receptacles, and on the other end there is provided the usual screw receptacle, one or more, for receiving .threaded plug connectors or lamp globes and the like; and it is an object to improve the construction of electric lamp sockets for lamp socket serving to explain the principle of the invention, the construction of which may be adapted to various-modified struc tures to better suit the needs of manufacturers and the varying uses of the trade.

Figurel illustrates a perspective view of the socket; and; Figure 2 illustrates a cross sectional view thereof.

Figures 3 and f illustrate the 'socket partly disassembled with the metal contact parts placed in position on each respectivebody section and made ready to assemble by putting the two parts together to form a completed lamp socket.

Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of a modified form of my invention wherein I employ a smooth here or non-threaded socket receptacle in which is employed an improved corrugated or threaded contact member to hold the lamp globe and transmit current thereto.

Figure 6 is a view of the improved stamped or punched metal conductor as it appears before being placed in the socket casings to plainly show the resilient contact forks.

A push plug socket constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention utilizes single one-piece metal punchings as conductors for transmitting current from a current feed fixture or wall receptacle to one or more lamp globes or appliance connections held in the device; and the socket is characterized by the simplicity of parts, and by the ease with which the contact members and body parts are assembled to produce a rugged serviceable long lasting device; and I am enabled to economically produce plural or multiple lamp sockets because of the onepiece, jointless, and continuous contact structure which embodies a jack-blade connector extending into one or any number of lamp receptacles affording side and center contact without adverting to the use of solder, screw, or rivet-made connections.

For convenience in the manufacture of this improved lamp socket, I make the body or casing thereof of insulating material and preferably mold it into mating half-sections which are secured together by any appropriatemeans with the metalcontact parts anchored thereloetween. The body sections are made with central web portions 10 comparatively thin in structure, so that the webs or walls 10 when clamped together present a trim neat appearance and not involving an excessive amount of material in the construction thereof. A boss or flat disc 11 is integrally formed on the web 10 and atfords an abutting face or rest which lies in contact with the face of a wall lug or other current supply receptacle to which this improved lamp socket is attached. Lamp globe sockets 12 are formed in the insulating body, each body section carrying its complementary section and affording a completed socket receptacle when the two body se'c-; tions are joined together. Any suitable number of globe receptacles 12 are made in the body for, as will be understood, my improved construction, and particularly the improved contact parts, can be so formed by the stamping and punching process so that the said improvedcontacts may be made to run to any .desired number of receptacles. The adjacent faces of the body sections are molded substantially flat or plane excepting that each section is preferably constructed with a shallow groove in its plane face for the reception of a stamped metal contact part.

I employ a pair of improved one-piece conductor members which are of integral construction and jointless or continuous,

. there being no riveted, screwed, or soldermember 14 is, in this particular embodiment,

made substantially T-shaped; and the side contact member 15 is made with a plurality of substantially U-shaped, fureated, or forked contact members 16. Each conductor member 14 and 15 is punehedor stamped from sheet metal with a jack-blade 17; and

the two jack-blades project parallel from the socket boss 11 when assembled. An insu lating sheet 18, such as fiberor other suitable material, is likewise punched from sheet material and rests in the body groove adjacent to and in contact with one of the conductor members as shown in Figure 3.' This insulator 18 affords positive separation and insulation between the two closely'spaced conductors l land 15.

The exposed center contact ends of the conductor 14 are preferably turned over on the end to provide a center contact having an efi'ective engaging area so that when an electric light bulb or a screw plug, or other wiring devices, are screwed into thereceptacle 12 there is established positive electric center contact. The conductor 15 is similarly stamped or punched from sheet material with the forked arms 16 cut comparatively narrow so as to impart a perceptible degree of springiness and yieldability, the purpose of which is to cause the oppositely disposed contact fingers 16 to lightly rub and press the metal screw shell of an electric light globe or other plug when screwed into the receptacle, thereby establishing positive side electrical contact. The grooves 20 made in the wall'of the socket section 12 are preferably deeper than the width of the contact fork 16 so this fork may yield and press back into the grooves 20 when a plug or globe is screwed into the receptacle.

My improved lamp sockets have one, two

or more receptacles 12 which are preferably molded with screw threads as shown in the first several figures of the drawing; and the contact fork 16 is stamped or punched with a die which is corrugated to cut and form threads 21 on the internal edges of the contact fork 16. -VVhen the contact fork 16 with its integral stamping 15 and jack-blade 17 are placed in the groove 20, the corrugations 21 match with the threads of the socket 12 thereby forming a continuous and uninterrupted screw thread structure; and it is significant that the said corrugations or metal threads 21 of the contact fork are perceptibly exposed in the threaded receptacle surface by projecting slightly above the pitch of the threads. This arrangement provides positive threaded contact against the metal shell of a globe or plug when it is screwed into the receptacle.

Figure 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention utilizing the same conductor and contact member as hereinbefore described except that I have varied the inter nal receptacleconstruction thereof. In this modified structure, I utilize the thin sheet metal corrugated or threaded contact fork for two purposes, namely, to afford positive electrical contact, and to securely hold an electric lamp globe or other device in the socket receptacle. This improved socket receptacle 25 constitutes a plain bore or a non-threaded structure not possessing screw threads. The corrugations 21 on the inner thin edge of the contact fork 16 are sufficiently exposed above the surface as to effect positive threaded gripping connection with a lamp base or other device inserted in the receptacle 25.

Figure 5 also illustrates the manner in which receptacles 12 or 25, threaded or smooth bored as the case may be, are angularly disposed in relation one to the other, When it becomes desirable on the part of the manufacturer to furnish the market with different forms or angles of sockets, he can readily mold the body sections with receptacles leading off in any direction desired; and accordingly, he varies the shape and position of the contact forks in the same manner without departing from the prin ciple of the invention.

This improved socket is economical to produce because of its inherently simple contact members and small number of parts involved; and it is to be observed that the thin flat conductors are disposed between the thin flatwebs 10 and 10 which mini respective grooved bodies, the insulator is applied, and then the two body sections are secured together witheyelets or rivets 26.

What I claim is:

1. A new article of manufacture comprising a stamping punched from sheet metal, flexible spring fingers integral with the stamping and internally corrugated to make screw-threaded contact, parts, and a jack-blade integral with the stamping to form a plug-in contact.

' 2. Improvements in electric globe sockets comprising a 'body having socket receptacles, a pair of parallel jack-blade contacts projecting from the body, contact fingers integral with one of the jack-blades and extending along the wall of the receptacles to form side contacts, said contact fingers being internally corrugated to make screwthreaded contact engagement with lamp globes and the like inserted in the receptacle, and branches integral with the other jack-blade forming center contacts in the receptacles.

3. Improvements in lamp sockets comprising a body member having globe receptacles, sheet metal contact blades disposed edgewise along the Wall of the receptacles and beingflexible tomake spring contact,

corrugations made in the edges of the said flexible blades to simulate screw threads, a jack-blade punched integrally with the aforesaid contact blades and projecting from the body, a center contact part secured at the bottom of receptacles, and another jack blade integral with the center contact part and projecting from the body parallel to the first named jack-blade.-

4. Improvements in lan'ip sockets comprising a body having lurcated contact member with its furcations oppositely disposed within the receptacles to engage a lamp or other device inserted in globe receptacles, a

the receptacle, a jack-blade integral with the contact member and projecting'from the body, a contact member extending from the center of the other receptacles, and a jackblade made integral with the last named contact member and projecting from the body in a parallel relation with the first jack-blade to form a plugin connector.

5. Electric lamp sockets comprising a body made of insulating material, smooth bore non-threaded socket receptacles for the reception of lamp bulbs; and the like, a metal stamping in the form of a fork disposed in the socket receptacles, corrugations made on' the stamping simulating screw-threads which project abovethe smooth surface of the receptacle to form positive electrical and anchoring connection with a lamp base or other device screwed into the receptacle, a center contact, and parallel jack-blades integral with the stamp ing and center contact.

6. Improvements in electric globe sockvets comprising a body having socket receptacles, a pair of jack-blade contacts projecting from the body, a contact fork inte gral with one of the jack-blades and ,being disposed in the receptacle with the prongs thereof diametrically opposed, and

branches stamped integral with 'the other jack-blade forming center contacts in the receptacle.

7. A new article of manufacture 'comprising a forked contact member With the prongs thereof threaded and made flexible to form yieldable contacts, and a jack-blade made integral with the member.

In testimony whereof I atiiX my signature this 29 day-of November 1922, in the county of New York, city of New York, and State of New York.

' HERMAN L. STRONGSON. 

